Jessica Mathews is Making Cycling Safer in the Streets

As Public Health Coordinator for the Ohio Alliance of YMCAs, and board member of non-profit Transit Columbus, Jessica Mathews is a tireless advocate for safer streets in her hometown. In 2015, Mathews and her team more than doubled attendance of the already-successful Open Streets Columbus festival, which shuts off streets to cars in favor of recreation.

But she’s not content to focus only on her day job. She also leads a regular women's-only bike ride, called "2 Wheels in Heels," and launched a girls-specific program called Girls in Gear, an eight-week bicycle-training program that empowers adolescent girls to build independence and self-esteem so that they begin a pattern of confident, healthy decision-making throughout their lives. She strongly believes that when there are more women and girls riding bikes, the more ‘normal’ the bicycle will be viewed here in America—and the safer our streets will become.

"There’s nothing that makes a city more alive than having people be a part of it,” Mathews says. “Cars don't bring cities life, people do...I’m inspired and committed to be a leader to show people, through various interventions, a better quality of life."

To read about more people who changed the world in 2015, check out the entire Rodale 100.

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Bicycling participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.